Flyrod setup

In this article, the Fly Fishing Atlas team describe a simple and reliable approach to setting up a fly rod that has been tried and tested by many seasons of big fish.

Though this system does work extremely well, it might become much more complicated if you purchase certain parts of your setup before reading through this guide. If you are wondering what some of those items are, fear not.

The first half of this article explains their purpose and function and in the second half we show you how to assemble them all. How you need to setup your fly rod is going to depend on what species of fish you are after and how big you suspect those fish might be.

But we particularly recommend reading through this article before you buy fly fishing line. We are going to jump right into fly line selection because we assume that you have already purchased a fly rod and reel. Regardless of whether you select floating, sinking, or intermediate fly line , do yourself a favor and buy one with welded loops on both ends. And if you are trying to make sense of which of those fly line types you should buy, we suggest that you read this article which explains how to make that decision.

Until recently, fly line manufacturers made their lines with both ends simply cut off and ending in a straight section of line. This left the angler to decide which knots to use when making connections to both ends of the fly line. If you wanted to set up your own rod then difficult Nail Knots and Albright Knots were foundational requirements. That has changed, thankfully. Today many fly line companies make their lines with welded loops on both ends.

This means the manufacturer ties loops into the core material of the fly line before the coating is applied. The result is that a simple loop-to-loop connection can be made on both ends rather than learning complicated and difficult knots. Nail knots are still particularly good to know, but no longer necessary to get your rod ready for use. Two loops allow one line to pass through the other and produce two interlocking loops. The images below show how the connection works.

Now that you understand how the two loops connect with each other, we are going to start with applying backing at the reel and work our way out toward the final connection with the fly. To remedy that situation anglers add backing to the spool before connecting the fly fishing line. Backing is made from a material called Dacron and is a braided line. Most trout and bass anglers use yards of 20 lb. But anglers after larger game fish like striped bass will use yards of 30 lb. Following these recommendations will ensure that you will preserve proper space on your spool for the addition of your fly line.

The fly fishing leader is a length of clear monofilament or fluorocarbon fishing line that is attached to the end of the fly line. But the leader is not simply a straight section of fishing line that you would normally find on a spinning reel. Loading it is the first step of fly fishing rig setup. The length of the backing can vary according to your circumstances. You can check the manual that comes with your fly reel to see for any recommendations, if there are any.

If not, yards is a good length to start with. Trim away any excess line. Next, start rotating the arbor very slowly with minimal tension on the line to will ensure no line slippage.

Once it has started to wrap, you can increase the pressure. Also, you need to make sure that the backing sits uniformly across the spool. After spooling the backing, the next step of setting up a fishing pole is attaching your line with it. Nowadays, most fly lines come with labeled ends to quickly determine which one to connect with the backing.

The opposite end is thicker and with a taper. Also, most lines usually have loops on both sides for easy connection.

Simply tie the backing with a clinch knot and cut away the excess. Now, reel the line just as you did with backing. The lines should evenly spread and not touch the top rod across the spools.

If it does, unwind the fly line and cut off some backing. The last piece to go in your reel is the leader. If your line and leader both have welded loops, attaching them is simple. Pull both lines, and voila! All you have to do is take a three-inch-long piece of monofilament and attach it to the fly line with the help of a nail or an Albright knot.

Many fly lines will have a loop on this end to help attach the backing to fly line. Like most knots, the nail knot is best learned by watching it done so checkout this video —. With the backing and fly line attached, wind the fly line onto the spool. This might take a couple tries so be patience. Those small wire loops on the fly rod are called guides.

The easiest way to string the fly line through the guides is to pull off feet of fly line and double it over. Then string the folded over portion of the fly line through the guides. With the guides strung, do a double check to insure each guide has the line passing through it.

I missed a guide close to the tip of the rod once, and on one of my first casts hooked a nice fish and SNAPPED my rod at the missed guide. Pull 10 feet of fly line out the tip. Now your ready to tie on the leader. The two most common lengths of leaders are 7. Watch this video to learn how to tie it and how to make a loop.

The addition of the a tippet allows you to snip off a little bit of line without cutting away that more expensive leader. It explains those X numbers and the different materials.

Clinch note video link? Go Do It!! Searching patterns are some of the most common and productive flies. These flies should form the foundation when filling a fly box. I have seen fish completely ignore a perfectly placed fly. It happens, and when it does take a deep breath, look around at the beauty surrounding you and move on.

But, sometimes switching flies is just the right thing to do. I would suggest you try something smaller in those cases. If nymph fishing, and you see a fish come up and look at your offering and turn away… Switch Flies!

I would tie on something with a bead and fish it a little deeper. On those days enjoy the moment and enjoy your fishing partners. Dry Fly Fishing — This is straightforward and what I described above. A weight forward fly line, with a 4x to 6x tapered leader and 12 to 16 inches of tippet. On the tippet tie a classic dry fly like an Adams or a Elk Hair Caddis. A little bonus info — get some fly floatant like GINK and apply to your dry flies before heading to the water.

Gink and other floatants are more effective if applied and given a chance to dry. What is GINK? In a current, most fish will hug the bottom, usually next to something that helps obstruct the current.

The objective is to get your fly right in front of the fishes nose. Fluorocarbon material is nearly invisible to fish in water, as an added bonus it also sinks. When you get to a fly shop pickup a spool of either 4X or 5X.

What kind of rig do you need to fish nymphs? A quick guide for rigging up a nymphing outfit. Tie on a 9 foot or longer tapered 3X to 5X fluorocarbon leader. Tie your fly onto the end of the tippet. If your in a current, you can combine stripping and using the moving water to create the fly action.